The Rays of Light
by Chibi-Sen1124
Summary: Taking place after The Promised Day, Ed and Al still find themselves on an adventure to finally begin their life. A multi-chapter story that takes place during the two years and after. EdWin in future chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**(A/N: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist. I do own Nikko, though. i happened to be listening to the original, the instrumental, and the Vic Mignogna version of Brothers while writing this, in case anyone wants to listen to music while reading this. Anyhow, hopefully you enjoy!)**

Alphonse was lying under the tree beside the Rockbell house, the long green grass tickling his arms and bare feet. He sighed, a content sigh, listening to his heartbeat and also the sound of his breathing. Having his body back… there simply just wasn't a word (or any words for that matter) to explain how overjoyed he felt. When he accidentally cut his finger while using the knife to make himself a snack, the pain made him remember that he once again had a body. He hadn't realized that Winry walked in at that moment and was yelling at him for smiling like an idiot while he was staring at his bleeding finger. Al began to laugh at that memory. It happened not to long ago after Ed and Al returned.

"Hey, Al! Are you over here?!" Ed shouted, walking around the house, looking for Al. _Speaking of Ed_, Al thought to himself.

"I'm over here, brother." Al shouted back to him. When Ed saw him, he gave him a grin and plopped down beside him, his legs sprawled out and his arms supporting him as he laid back.

"What are you doing here, all alone?" Ed asked, still grinning. Al was starting to get suspicious. Did Ed do something to his stuff? He hadn't really brought anything important from Central to Resembool and he really didn't own a lot except clothes. Or maybe…

"Have you finally confessed your love to Winry?" Al asked, a mischievous grin on his face. Ed's cheeks slowly began to get pink. Al had to use all of his inner strength to not laugh. He turned around to not face his older brother practically dying of embarrassment. While he turned around, his shoulders began to shake and he kept snorting.

"No! Damn it all! Why'd you have to go and say something stupid like that!? Obviously, now is not the right time for it but maybe soon-" Ed felt his cheeks get even hotter. He just confessed to his brother that he's in love with Winry. Oh no, he's never going to let that down. He looked at Al who was staring at him, eyes wide open. Finally, a huge smile began to grow on his face.

"You _are_ in love with her! Where's Winry? I have to tell her this!" He was about to get up before Ed grabbed his wrist.

"You do it and I won't give you the surprise. In fact, if you tell Winry about this, I'll tell you what my surprise is and never give it to you." Al sat down, angrily, and sat across from Ed. Both Ed and Al sat criss-cross and arms over their chest. They stared each other down until Al finally submitted himself to his curiosity about Ed's surprise.

"What did you get me?" he asked Ed. Ed's grin returned. He stood up and helped his brother on his feet. They both walked to the front of the house where a box was waiting. It was already open though. Al saw a small golden furry head with green eyes peek out of the box, staring at him.

"Meow." The little animal's quiet meow barely reached across the porch. Al's heart slowly began to swell. He looked at Ed, who was still grinning.

"I happened to find this cute little guy walking down our road. I went everywhere around Resembool to see if it had an owner. Apparently, one of our neighbor's cats just had a litter of kitties a month ago. This one ran away when he let all the kitties out of the house to stretch their legs. He let me keep him but obviously you like cats more than me so…" Al was filled with so much happiness. He could hardly contain it.

"Are you sure?! Can I really keep him!?" Al asked, excitement filling his voice. Ed gave him a small nod, a bit embarrassed by his own kindness. Al slowly walked to the golden kitten in the box and began to touch its silky fur. He hadn't felt a kitten in so many years. He was finally able to feel their fur again. _Soft and fluffy_, he thought. It reminded him of blankets that had been washed and dried out on a nice spring day. Al didn't realize he was crying until he felt something running down his cheek. The kitten was beginning to nibble on his finger, his sensitive human finger. Ed walked up to Al after he saw that Al hadn't move from his position. When he saw Al crying, he panicked.

"W-why the hell are you crying? Don't you like him? I thought he was kinda cute! Al! What's wrong?" he asked worriedly. Al just shook his head and wiped away his tears. He looked at Ed and smiled.

"Look, brother." He put his other arm up, his skinny but fleshy arm. "I have my body back. I can feel again. It's just… I'm happy." Al's tears still hadn't stopped. Ed just gave him a sigh but smiled back. He understood exactly the way he felt. Sometimes he even had those moments where he couldn't help but just look at his right arm, pinching at his skin, hoping this wasn't just some dream.

"I-I can feel the sunlight on my body again! I can taste Winry's apple pie! I can sleep!" Al looked at the golden little kitty, still nibbling his finger.

"Thank you for getting my body back, brother." Ed felt as if someone had just knocked the wind out of him. He looked up at the sky, blinking back tears. He felt so...free? No, that wasn't the word for it. He finally did something_ right_. He helped his brother, the only person in his family left, get back what he rightly deserved. The feeling he had been carrying in his heart for so, so long was gone. The memories of the journey wouldn't ever leave though. But he did something right for once, hadn't he? He looked at his little brother, who was wiping away his tears.

"Idiot, what kind of reason is that to cry?" he ruffled Al's hair as if they were little kids again. He sat down next to the box and stroked the little kitten's fur as well with his right hand.

"So, what are you going to name him?" Ed asked. Al gave a thoughtful look before finally answering him.

"Nikko."

**(A/N: Nikko means sunlight in Japanese.)**


	2. Chapter 2

Winry kept chewing her lip angrily. She stared down at the piece of paper, teasing her with the multiple scratches and frustrated writing. The tip of her pen was full of bite marks, each a bit deeper than the ones before it. Winry sighed and sagged her body on the chair, leaning back to stare at the ceiling. She began to wonder if she'll ever be able to figure out a stupid phrase that defined her and her automail...using only seven words. Each she had done was lame and stupid until the most recent one made her want to crawl into a hole. The best automail you have ever seen! It was so cliche and unoriginal but she couldn't think of anything else. Her patience was wearing thin and to top it off, she was working with an empty stomach. Her stomach was killing her but she was determined to finish the stupid phrase before she did anything else. Her grandmother took over all of her appointments for the day. _You have to finish this first before you can do anymore automail work_, she had told her.

"Damn it, why can't I figure out one single sentence?" she asked herself quietly. All of a sudden, she felt something brush her leg. She looked down to see Nikko, Al's cat that Ed had gotten for him. She grabbed him and let him snuggle in her arms. His soft and golden coat was shining, even if the curtains were blocking the sun from inside the room. Gently, she stroked his back and he began to purr.

"Oh! There you are, Nikko." Al said, walking inside Winry's room. Hearing the sound of Al's voice, Nikko jumped off Winry and quickly began to scratch softly at Al's legs, begging for attention. Al smiled at the little cat and picked him up in his arms, just as Winry had done only seconds ago.

"Hey Winry, what are you doing in here all alone?" he asked her. She sighed, remembering the reason she had secluded herself to her room.

"In a few weeks, the best automail engineers are going to a convention. Each automail engineer has to present their best work and a phrase that goes along with it. The person wins new tools and they gain a lot of new customers with the attraction. I was chosen to go. I have the automail but I just need the phrase. So here I am, since the crack of dawn trying to figure out one stupid sentence but nothing seems to come into my mind." she explained to him. Al looked down on the sheet of paper in front of her, trying to read all the ones she has already come up with. The last one he saw made me smile. It was corny but still, it had enthusiasm all over it.

"Do you need my help? I'm not really doing anything so I don't mind helping you." he asked her. She gave a sigh of relief.

"Yes, please! That would really make things easier!" she exclaimed, happy with his offer. He sat on her bed and together they tried to figure out a sentence. But each time one came up with something, the other found something that was wrong with it. After a while, they both saw that this would go nowhere. Al didn't feel like he was much use and Winry was about ready to explode. She could feel her anger rising and decided it would be better if Al wasn't there because she felt that the next sentence he offered would make her snap.

"Listen Al, I think I got it from here. I really appreciate your help." she gave him a smile to show she was happy with his effort. He smiled back at her, easing her anger. He heard Pinako call him from downstairs and he left Nikko on her bed.

"For company." he explained when she gave him a confused look. She nodded at him and waited until he left to start brainstorming again. Until-

THUMP!

"Damn it! Why would you leave this lying around, you shorty!?" Ed yelled to Pinako from downstairs. Winry was barely able to make out Pinako's remark when she heard Ed again.

"Then tell Winry to hurry up and finish whatever the hell she's doing!" he yelled back. There was a slight pause (most likely Pinako inhaling her pipe) until she yelled back.

"It's not easy to write something like that, you runt! If you think you can do it, then you go help her!" Winry laughed, silently thanking her grandmother for defending her. Then she heard the sound of loud footsteps coming up the stairs. They got louder until they made it to her room where an angry Ed stood at the doorway to her room, with a half-eaten sandwich in his hand.

"Okay, what the hell is taking you so long to write something as simple as one sentence?!" he yelled. Winry grabbed the wrench sitting on the table and flung it at him. He was able to dodge it but not the second one coming his way.

"Shut up, you! It's hard to think with you making so much noise!" she yelled at him. He rubbed his head and looked at Winry angrily. He walked towards her desk and Winry, being stubborn, covered her paper and huffed out an angry sigh. Ed gave her a small frown.

"Come on, Winry. Let me see it so you can help your grandmother." he said, holding out his hand for her paper. She slowly gave him the paper and he handed her his sandwich. Her stomach growled loudly and they both looked at each other, Winry with her cheeks slightly pink and Ed with wide eyes. He sighed.

"Maybe the reason you can't figure this out is because you haven't eaten. You can have the rest of my sandwich." he said to her. She gave him a big smile and took a huge bite out of the sandwich. Ed read each phrase, snorting or slightly groaning at each one he read. Winry was getting madder and madder with every little "comment" he had about about her phrase. When he finally read the last one, he burst out laughing. He clutched his stomach and tears were rolling down his face.

"Ed, if you're going to make fun of me instead of helping me, then get out!" she yelled at him. He shook his head, still laughing. When he finally calmed down, he gave her the paper back and sat on her desk, looking at her.

"Okay, I admit. Those are really bad. But that last one was really cute because it practically yelled 'You know what, here's my damn phrase.' Winry, I'm pretty sure you don't need my help to figure out one sentence. You just aren't putting yourself in it. You're only thinking about your automail. Think about you then your automail." he said, his voice serious. Winry's heart thumped in her chest. Sometimes she forgot that Ed was able to be serious if he put his whole mind into it. It was these small things that made Winry love Ed. Her face grew warm and she looked away. She knew she was in love with Ed but saying it in her head was still new to her. When she looked back at him, he was looking out the window to her room. She caught a small glimpse of the sunset outside. Flames of reds and oranges overtook the blue sky.

"Hey Ed. Thanks. I think I got it." she said to him, giving him a smile. He looked at her and he frowned.

"You aren't giving me this pitiful smile, are you? I didn't even mention a single phrase that might help and yet you say you have it...Are you just trying to get rid of me?" he asked suspiciously. She had already written down the phrase on a new sheet of paper. She stood up, stretching each stiff muscle.

"Nope. I actually got it. You can say that you somehow were my inspiration." she said, giving him a genuine smile. He blushed slightly, getting off the desk and mumbling something about being straight forward.

"Anyway, let's go downstairs to grab you something to eat. I highly doubt that sandwich filled you up." They headed downstairs, already arguing about something else.

Nikko didn't feel comfortable anymore and decided that Winry's desk looked a lot better. He was able to use her chair to jump on her table. He laid down on Winry's new clean of paper, where one phrase was written in small handwriting.

_The light you wished for? It's strength._


	3. Chapter 3

**(A/N: This story has been on my mind the whole week and i finally perfected it into a really long chapter. Sorry about that, please bare with me on that. I didn't want to make it into two chapters. This chapter is a bit sad but you'll enjoy it.)**

Small rays of sunshine seeped through the smallest cracks they could find inside of Ed's room. Each light was brighter than the other since it had rain the night before and it made the room look more crisper. A ray made its way to Ed's face, hoping to wake him up from his sleep but he had already been awake for a while. His golden hair was still wet with sweat and his eyes were wild yet glossy with last night tears. It was a nightmare but not the last of many. He knew a nightmare was in store from him the night before. The rain was an emotional trigger for him, small memories resurfacing from the past. In reality, it was only years ago but they way he said it made him seem he was much older than he looked. The nightmare consisted of his mother. His soft and sweet mother.

In the nightmare, she was caressing a young Ed who's hair wasn't even long enough to be put in a ponytail. She was stroking his gold hair that reminded her so much of Hohenheim. He was hugging her back, his eyes threatening to spill with happy tears. He looked up at her, only to see her crying angry and wrathful tears.

"Why would you put you and your brother through such hardships, Ed? All you had to do was let me go in the beginning and none of it would have happened. Nina, Alexander, Hughes. It's all your fault!" Each word became a harsh whisper and Ed did begin to cry but with guilt and sadness.

"I didn't mean it, mom! I loved you too much to let you go! Please, I'm sorry!" he plead in the dream. Trisha let go of him and began to walk away. Ed tried to stand but he didn't have his right leg. He would extend his arm to her, pleading for her to come back. Then, he woke up. He knew the dream was something in his subconscious mind not wanting to let go of. But he didn't know what it was.

"Brother! Time to get up!" Ed heard Al's voice from downstairs. Truthfully, Ed would rather stay in his room and mope about his dream, but what use was that? He got up from his bed and stretched out his stiff muscles.

"I'm up, Al! Get breakfast ready for me, would ya?" he yelled back. He could imagine Al's smile and him agreeing to his request.

"Sure, Ed! But you have to help too, okay? So, hurry up and get down here!" Al yelled back. Then he heard Den's bark, most likely him letting AL know he had to go do his morning business.

"On second thought, can you start without me? I'll be back in five minutes!" Before Ed could respond, he heard the front door slam shut. Ed chuckled at Al's luck.

"Looks like I have to make breakfast again." he said to himself. His eyes made its way to the window. In his mind, he was already ruling out the possibility of it raining again tonight. He slowly walked over to the window and slightly pulled the curtains. The sunlight was having a battle with the dark clouds looming over Resembool. And so far, the sunlight was winning. But I have the worst luck in the world, so it could change throughout the day he thought to himself. He pulled the curtain back into place and decided to change into a red sweater and black pants. When he was pulling his hair back into a ponytail, he noticed that it already reached almost to his lower back.

"I should ask Winry to cut it for me later." he said. Then he remembered that she was at Rush Valley for that convention with Pinako. She would either be back the next day or the day after that. Or never since Winry loves Rush Valley so much. Ed blushed a little at the thought of "Winry loves". He couldn't help but think about his own thoughts and Winry. Because of Lieutenant Hawkeye's comment about him loving Winry, he had became a bit self-conscious towards her. It was impossible not to notice that she was, in fact, beautiful. And kind. And sweet. And an automail freak who turned into a demon at the sight of a very well-made automail. He had to smile at that. It was so like her to do that.

"Maybe I should tell her that I love he-"

"Will you stop thinking about Winry for a couple of seconds and get down here to start breakfast?! You were supposed to have already started it!" Al yelled from downstairs. Ed felt his cheeks warm up and he yelled back at his brother.

"Shut up, Al! I was not thinking about Winry." Damn lie he thought to himself. He could practically feel AL's gaze that said Yeah right.

"Suuuuuure Brother. Whatever you say." Ed stomped downstairs and began to yell at his brother for teasing him but Al could only just laugh because Ed's red cheeks confirmed what he had suspected.

LINE BREAK YO

After Ed and AL finished their breakfast, Ed suggested they would go to the small lake not that far away from the Rockbell house.

"It's time we start strengthening your muscles again, Al. And I think a little physical exercise will do us good." he said, a smile on his lips. Al sighed, looking out the window.

"It looks like it might rain, Brother. I think we can walk to the lake and come back before the rain hits us." Al suggested instead.

"You just don't want to fight yet. You think you're not ready yet?" his brother asked. Al looked at his body, as if he was examining the inside.

"Not yet. I still get these weird black outs. I know you are itching to fight again but you're going to have to wait. Sorry, Ed." Ed ruffled his little brother's hair.

"Eh, no worries. Besides, that gives me enough time for me to strengthen my body again since I've been doing nothing but sitting on my butt this whole time. Anyway, I think walking to the lake is enough exercise for you." Ed said to him. They eventually agreed to the plan and left the house in Nikko's care, taking Den with them. They slowly walked to the lake, watching the clouds take over each any light that escaped its grasp.

"I-I had a dream about Mom last night." Ed said slowly and quietly. Al kept looking forward, and gave a small nod for Ed to continue. Ed began to explain his nightmare to his little brother, hating that he had to tell him what he felt. But for some reason, he felt that Al knew what his mind wanted. When he finished telling him the dream, they both stopped to see the lake in front of them. A strong wind howled across and sent ripples on the surface.

"I think it's going to start raining soon. I know we just made it here, but we should head back." Al said. Ed just gave his brother a look and followed him back the other way. He expected Al to give him feedback to his nightmare but maybe he just didn't have any.

"I think your mind, your subconscious mind as you called it, feels that mom isn't proud of you. That is, if mom were to see you or us, she would feel sad at the choices we have made. That's what I think your dream means." Al finally said. Ed felt as if someone had ripped his heart out of his chest. It's his worst fear, finally said out loud. What he had started was all for his mother. But maybe she wasn't proud of him. A child's fear is having their parents think they're a disappointment. And despite Ed's age, he still felt like that child at times. He stayed quiet, walking beside Al with his head down.

"Sorry, Al. I didn't want to burden you with my dream. I feel like you were the best one who would have understood me." Ed said to him. They walked back quietly to the house, with a small little figure on the front porch.

"Well, it's about time you got home. I don't know what you boys were up to but I made lunch." Pinako said to the sulking boys. She noticed their moods and decided to not say anything else.

"Where's Winry, Pinako?" Al asked. Pinako inhaled a puff of smoke from her pipe and turned to Al.

"She's still not home yet. She told me to go home early because she was worried about the two of you. Good thing I came home early too. You both look horrible." While Al kept his conversation going with Pinako, Ed went upstairs to his room. He stayed in there the whole day, reading books he hasn't read since Trisha was alive. Around the evening, Al brought a plate up of dinner for Ed. He didn't say anything and left Ed alone. The rain had slowly started to fall again.

LINE BREAK NUMERO DOS YO

Ed stared at the ceiling, listening to the sound of the rain fall on the ground. He couldn't sleep. Actually, it was more like he didn't want to sleep. He was scared of the dream appearing again. He laid on his bed, not moving a single inch. Eventually, he felt his eyes getting heavier. He struggled to stay awake. Not yet he thought. Sleep finally took over.

_"Edward. Are you okay?" Trisha asked Ed, who had fallen from the swing on the tree. His knee was bleeding and she had gone to hug him, making him feel better. He hugged her tightly, inhaling her vanilla and tea scent. She stroked his hair, and he felt instantly better. But he had this weird feeling in his mind. Like this had happened before. He looked up to see his mother with tears in her eyes full of anger and...disappointment._

_"Why did you do it, Ed? WHY? Because of you, they're gone. Because of you!" She pulled away from him and began to leave. Ed was about to get up to run after her, but his leg had disappeared. He looked at her walking away, desperation in his eyes._

_"No, wait. Come back! Please! I'm sorry, mom! I'M SORRY!"_

Ed gasped loudly, breathing heavily afterwards. Tears fell down his eyes and he couldn't stop crying. He hadn't notice somebody come in. The person slowly sat down on his bed and pulled him close to their lap. He didn't care who it was. He wrapped his arms around a slender and obviously feminine waist. The person slowly began to run their fingers through his hair.

"Shh. It's okay, Ed. I'm here. I'm here." Winry's voice began to sooth Ed and he was finally able to calm down. He was too embarrassed to look at her and he wasn't sure it this was another dream either. He didn't want to see her eyes filled with disappointment.

"I came in your room because I wanted to borrow your jacket since it was cold in my room. When I walked inside, you were already crying. A-are you okay now, Edward?" His heart was still beating rapidly in his chest and he shook his head in her lap.

"I'm scared this is a dream. I'm scared you're going to look at me with eyes filled with hate or regret or anything. I don't want to look at you." he whispered so softly that Winry would have missed all of it if she hadn't been listening carefully. Using her hand, she moved his head towards hers and he was keeping his eyes shut. Without really thinking about it, she placed a soft kiss on his cheek, real close to his lips. He was so surprised he opened his eyes. He saw Winry looking at him with care and worry on her face. Her long blond hair was falling down on her chest, silky and wavy like a river. She gave him a small smile and he gave a smile back.

"There? You see? No hate in my eyes. Just lo-" she stopped and was turning really red. So was he. They both stayed quiet until they heard the sound of the rain grow louder. He finally decided to take a step that would either take him forward or reeeeally far back.

"Since you said it was cold in your room, w-why don't you sleep here?" he said quietly. He had turned away so he wouldn't see her expression. The silence was unbearable. Finally, Winry spoke.

"Scooch over, then." He was surprised he hadn't gotten a wrench to his head since it didn't sound right. But take away what sleeping in a bed meant to an adult, it was just two really close friends sleeping together. She found her way underneath the blankets and they awkwardly got comfortable. After they got comfortable, it was just awkward.

"You know, I got home a little bit earlier. I think you were asleep already. I talked to Al and he told me the dream you had. He said he was worried about you. And I can't help but think that you're both wrong, Ed. Regardless of what has happened these past few years, your mom would never be disappointed in you. It's the path that a parent has chosen when giving life to you. To always be by your side, no matter what choices you make. Because, in the end, after you make a couple mistakes you learn what the right choices are." Winry whispered to him.. Ed smiled at Winry.

"Thanks, Winry. That means a lot to me." he whispered back. Sleep finally took over the both of them. Later in the night, Ed had placed his hand over her waist, pulling Winry closer to him. Winry had snuggled up into his chest. Oh, the teasing they would get in the morning.

_Trisha looked at the man Ed had become. He was obviously tall and undoubtedly a person who has experienced so much. He stood, fidgeting and waiting for her to say something. She walked close to him and slowly pulled him into an embrace. Tears were falling down her eyes and he hugged her back._

_"Oh, Ed. I love you so much. And I could never be anymore proud of you. Both me and your father are happy with everything you've accomplished. Tell Al that I love him for me, would you dear?" she pulled away and kissed his forehead. When she did walk away, Ed didn't stop her. She walked beside Hohenheim and following them was a very happy Nina and Alexander waving bye to him. Hughes gave a big smile at Ed and saluted him._

_"Tell my little rays of light I love them the next time you see them, okay Ed?" he said. Ed nodded at him and watched them all go._

**(A/N: I would really like to know what you guys thought about this chapter. I enjoyed it and the ending gets to me everytime I re-read it. Reviews?  
Hint: expect some of the other characters in the future.)**


	4. Chapter 4

"Milk." Edward said as he looked at the glass bottle next to his mouth watering plate of breakfast. It was placed there by a certain blonde hair mechanic geek with a wrench in her hand at the moment. She glared at him and slammed the wrench on the table, making Al who was also at the dinner table, flinch and drink his glass of milk in one gulp. But it was Ed she was fighting with and she wasn't going to go down without a fight.

"Yes, Ed. Milk. It's an essential part of a good breakfast. Since you're going out to run errands for me and Grandmother after, I didn't want you dying on the way back because of hunger pains. Got it? So drink your milk." she said forcefully. He crossed his arms over his chest and just ignored Winry.

"Milk isn't going to do me any good. I don't need it. Besides, I don't know if you've noticed, but I've grown quite a bit." He said with a smirk. Winry suddenly remembered yesterday night sleeping in his room. She remembered the way his arms had wrapped around her body, protecting her and holding her as if to say She's mine. He was no longer the small boy she had grown up with. He was a man who seemed ready to fight for everyone he loved. And it scared her to see him so...mature.

"Ed, wipe that stupid smirk on your face and just drink your milk." she said, annoyed and frustrated he wasn't drinking his milk.

"Maybe I don't want to." he replied back, the smirk still not gone from his face. Al looked at Ed in horror and looked back at Winry.

"Brother, please just drink the milk." Al whispered to Ed from across the table. Winry gave Ed her death glare and held the wrench over her head. Ed's smirk slowly disappeared.

"Winry…" he warned. But before he could try and dodge the wrench, it flew across the table and hit him square on the head. His soul slowly wavered out of his body. Al got up from the table and ran to Ed.

"I got your soul, Brother!" he said, placing his soul back in Ed's body. Winry sighed and took back everything she said about him. Yet she couldn't stop herself from blushing at the thought of last night.**  
**

LINE BREAK YO

Ed and Al walked out of the house after they Winry had finished giving them a long list of what they needed. Ed stretched out both his arms and groaned.

"Ugh, my arm is killing. I wonder why." he said more to himself than to Al. Al raised his eyebrows at him and give him a mischievous smile .

"Oh? Maybe it was the way you were holding Winry in your arms?"he said. Ed was too far off in his thoughts to give an excuse.

"No, I was pretty comfortable. Maybe it was something else." It wasn't until after he said it that he realized that he just confessed to his brother that Winry slept in his room last night. His cheeks burned a bright red and he walked ahead. Al knew he hit the bull's eye.

"I knew it! I knew it! I knew it! What happened? Did you give her an excuse like 'Oh, it's cold tonight. Let me warm you with my body heat.' Or maybe it was 'Winry, my love! I'm restless without you beside me!'" Al couldn't hold in his laughter any longer. Tears were streaming down his cheeks and he had to stop walking in order to clutch his stomach. Ed hit him in the head and Al yelped, rubbing where Ed had hit him.

"Quit it! I didn't say anything so cheesy or weird to her. And that's a horrible way to seduce someone to get in bed with you. I would never do that." Al just frowned at him and kept walking. Ed gave a shaky sigh.

"It's not raining any more." Al said, noticing the bright sunlight escaping from the puffy white clouds. Ed nodded in agreement and also looked at the sky. He placed his hands behind his head, trying to figure out a way to describe what happened last night.

"I had a nightmare last night. I didn't think that I...would actually cry from it. It was the same as before with mom. I guess Winry heard me crying and she just sat there on my bed with me. I don't really remember everything that happened last night. I just suggested her sleeping with me since it was a bit cold. Then, when I woke up, she was in my bed. That's it." Ed could hear his thoughts practically sassing him. Ed, that is such a lie. You remember everything. You have practically every detail of last night burned into your memory. Don't lie. Ed felt his cheeks get warm again and he shook his head to try and ignore his memory coming back to him.

"Brother, you are a liar."Al said. Ed gave him a confused look and he thought that Al knew he was keeping the truth from him.

"You did use a cheesy line." Al replied to him with an amusing look.

"Did not."

"Did too."

"Did not."

"Brother, you just said that you asked Winry to sleep in your bed because it was cold. That was a cheesy line. And a clever one too. I wonder how you were able to think of that." Al began to laugh again and Ed just walked away from him. Al had to run to catch up to him. They walked in silence for a little while longer. Until Al spoke again.

"Do you love Winry?" Ed turned a bright red, and he began to sputter excuses to the person who knows him too well for that.

"C'mon. Don't just say that she's like family to you. You can't lie to me." Al said. Ed sighed and looked out onto the fields beside the dirt road. A white butterfly flew across the field and landed on a sunflower.

"I don't know, Al. When you ask me that question, my heart begins to race and my mind turns to mush. Maybe I do. Maybe I love her and I don't want to let her go. I want to have her all to myself. She's the person who kept me strong and she's a giver of life. Sometimes I feel like I can't breath when she's in the same room because I just want to hug her tightly in my arms." Al felt like hearts were flying all around him and Ed. pretended to wave them away.

"See? Then what's wrong with telling her how you feel?" Al asked.

"Because I don't know if she feels the same way. And if I do tell her and she doesn't feel the same way, we can never return to the way it was before. It would be too awkward." Ed explained. Al looked at his brother. It was obvious to him that Ed was becoming aware that he wanted protect what he loves. He doesn't want to lose anymore people and he certainly would fight to protect what is most important in his heart.

"Brother, I have to say, you are certainly becoming a romantic. Have you been reading any romance novels?" Al said mischievously. Ed hit him lightly on the head and was too busy thinking about someone else to defend himself. Until he remembered something.

"Al, I have to tell you something." Ed stopped Al by grabbing his arm. He looked at his younger brother. He was obviously a lot stronger than before and he looked healthier than ever. He was also a grown man who was beginning to understand what it meant to protect everyone as well.

"After I fell asleep, I had a dream about mom. I-I'm not even sure if it was a dream. But in the dream, she...she told me to tell you that she loves you." Al's eyes became glossy and he walked away from his brother. Ed felt his throat tighten. He didn't think it would be hard to say that. He caught up to Al. He didn't say anything but when he saw his little brother silently crying, he ruffled his hair and together they made their way.

"Crap. I forgot what we have to get. Can I see the list, Al?" Al turned quickly to face his brother with wide eyes.

"You don't have it?" Ed shook his head.

"I thought you had it." Al explained. They both turned back to see the long stretch of road that lead back to the house.

"Greeeat." they said at the same time. They turned around and headed back where an angry Winry was waiting for them with the list in one hand a wrench in the other.

**(A/N: I'm trying to start the process of Winry and Ed getting together. In baby steps, though. There's a myth that I believe in where if you see a white butterfly, your significant other is thinking about you. See what I did there? Anyhow, Can I get some reviews? It'll motivate me to update quicker.)  
**


	5. Chapter 5

(**A/N: I really liked this chapter. It actually made _me_ blush. Enjoy!)**

It was impossible to miss the glances Ed gave to Winry or the ones Winry gave to Ed. At times they were looking at each other, but mostly they weren't. Winry's favorite time to glance at him was when he was reading a book on the sofa with his head hanging over the edge and his feet on the back rest. _It makes the blood flow faster to my head and I think better_ he always says to her when she asks him. Winry would just tell him that he's an idiot and when he remarks something back, all he got was a wrench to his head. It was her favorite time to look at him because he has such a thoughtful and concentrating look on his face. His eyebrows would furrow together, his tongue would stick out slightly from the side, and when he finished a chapter or a part he liked, he would give a smile small that would last until something confusing would appear again.

Ed always looks at Winry when she's working on her automail. That's almost always and each time she works on her automail, she has a different expression. But it's not the expression he likes to look at. It's her life-giving hands. The ones that created his old metal arm and his present metal leg. They work with such grace and swiftness. Even if she works with oil and rough tools. Its what makes her even better. She's not scared to get herself dirty and covered in grime. In fact, she enjoys that part of her work. Obviously, each women has their own unique talent, but hers just requires her to lose sleep and wake up with huge bags under her eyes. Winry isn't one to take care of her appearance yet she's naturally beautiful. Even if she throws a wrench at a certain someone.

What makes all this even more better is they're dense. Like new born lambs. They accept their feelings about one another but they do nothing. One might be extremely impatient at the rate they're going at with their relationship but Al simply finds enjoyment in it. Like now.

"Ed, why do you have your feet on my bed?" Winry asked, obviously annoyed and trying to keep her temper controlled. Al was sitting on the wall opposite from both of them, petting Nikko's golden coat with Den (taking a liking to the newcomer) right beside Al. He was watching this scene unravel with a smirk on his face. Ed was lying on the floor with his legs on her bed, reading. The reason both Ed and Al were in her room? Simple: "I just want to annoy Winry 'cause I'm bored." said Ed with a huge and wicked smile on his face to a worried and not convinced Al. Al just went along with Ed to see what was the real reason for his joke. Winry had obviously pulled an all nighter the night before and had worked straight through the morning and afternoon. Once evening had fallen, she was free to do what she wanted until the next day. She chose sleep. Until she found Ed and Al in her room.

"No reason, really. I just wanted to hang out here. Unless you don't want us here." he said, not taking his eyes off his book. Her eye twitched and she stopped to breathe deeply a couple of times before she spoke again. Al looked at his brother, who was trying his best to keep a straight face.

"Of course I don't mind hanging around with you guys. But I'm pretty beat. If you want, we can do something tomorrow or another time." she said, maintaining her voice as best as she could. Ed finally looked at Winry, giving her a huge grin. Al could see a Winry getting more annoyed with each passing second. But that didn't stop the tiniest of blushes forming on her cheeks.

"Nope" he replied, popping the p. AL sucked in a breath. Did his brother have a death wish? Winry + no sleep= It's not a wrench to the head, it's a whole automail arm. He was stuck now. If he left, he would abandon his brother to Winry's rage making him a traitor but he didn't want to stay either. Winry turned to Al. She placed her fingers on the bridge of her nose, breathing in even deeper before sighing.

"Al, why did you go along with your brother's idea?" she said, clearly angry now, not annoyed. He made a startled noise when she talked to him. As he looked past her and to his brother, Ed only looked at Al with the same stupid grin and gave him a thumbs up. Al felt his anger beginning to rise. _Brother, you obviously don't care about our lives._

"I thought he wanted to talk to you about something important. Isn't that right, Brother?" Al said. Ed wasn't affected by the limelight Al had given him. Winry was obviously an over bubbling pot of anger. Any single thing that turns up the heat will make her explode now.

"Well, I'm waiting Ed." she said. Al couldn't help but cross his arms like Winry when he looked at Ed also. Ed sighed and got up, placing the book on her bed. He stretched his neck, placing his hand over the back of his head. Winry was getting more and more impatient. Al was wondering what the heck his brother was planning.

Ed walked closer to Winry, closing the distance little by little, slowly. Winry was slowly beginning to lose the anger in her eyes and instead began to feel embarrassed. Even Al was feeling awkward. But yet...it couldn't be. _Is he really going to...kiss her?!_ Al thought, surprised. Ed was close to Winry's face now. They were only inches apart.

"Just thought I…" Ed whispered to Winry. Her face was burning red. Yet Ed looked so confident and determined. Al straightened up, already seeing the future dates they would spend together. Ed's lips were close to Winry's until he brushed past them to meet her cheek with his. His lips were close to her ear.

"...would drop by and say hello." Before Ed could even finish the last word, he bolted out the door. Winry's mouth was left open in surprise. Al looked at the barren hallway where Ed ran out to. His palm met his forehead and he let out a groan. Winry quickly bolted out the door after Ed.

"EDWARRRD!" she yelled, her voice echoing through the entire house. The sound of the front door opening echoed as well. Al placed Nikko next to Den and quickly made his way to the window, where night had already fallen. Ed was pretty far already but Winry was running fast. There was obviously an automail arm (one of his that she kept, actually) in her hand. She stopped and threw it as hard as she possibly could. Al was left, stunned. It hit him, straight on his head. He fell to the ground and Winry had yelled a couple of words that a women should never use. Al giggled at them. Regardless of Ed's stupidity, there was a good reason for his joke. He obviously wanted to see if she was affected by him. Winry was oblivious to when people hit on her. But she always become conscious about Ed. Simply, he wanted to see if had any chance of trying to get her heart. Al, being the bystander, saw that they had each other's heart already. He decided he would finally leave Winry the peace he deserved. Before he made his way out, he grabbed his brother's book. He noticed the blank cover was beginning to fall off so he took it off.

"The Rose of His Life: A Guide To Get Your Rose?" Al read. He read the summary to the book. When he was done, he had to re-read it again. Finally, he burst into laughter. Huuuuge laughter. Obviously, this is where he got the idea of playing that joke on Winry. Al was clutching his stomach and he was crying. When he was finally able to catch his breath, he noticed something had fallen out of the book._ Probably a picture of Winry_ he thought to himself, still laughing. It actually turned out to be a letter. The letter yelled **MASCULINE AND MUSCLES.**

**EDWARD ELRIC!**

**It has been too long! How time flies when you are using such strength, like me, to protect so many things?!**

**Anyhow, how is your brother!?**

**Hopefully he has gotten stronger!**

**Say hello to Alphonse for me!**

**Have you finally declared your undying love to Ms. Rockbell yet?!**

**She's a fine flower and it's time to make your move, Edward!**

**I took the opportunity to get this book for you!**

**Hopefully, it does some good!**

**Please be expecting us soon!**

**From**

**ALEX LOUIS ARMSTRONG**

Al smiled at the thought of seeing everyone again. He shook his laugh and kept laughing. _Brother, why would you read a guide about how to get Winry? You're an idiot._ Al thought Ed's had too much free time and they really needed to get back in shape anyway. Hopefully, he was still able to brawl after the hit he took. I_f he can't, at least his flower will heal him _he thought. He couldn't reach Winry's door before he began to laugh again. That certainly made his night.

**(A/N: Conrtibute to Chibi-Sen1124's charity by giving a review?)**


	6. Chapter 6

**(A/N: Sorry for the delay, my few followers. I hope you aren't mad. It took me a while to start this story. Anyhow, enjoy to your hearts content!)**

Sunlight slowly dripped down onto the valley's and fields of Resembool. The sky had different shades of oranges and reds and only a small strand of blue was seen on the other side. It had a warm effect but in reality, if you went outside at this time of the evening, it was already chilly. Which is why Winry had her hoodie on. Well, technically Ed's hoodie. Her grandmother had asked her to walk Den around since he wasn't getting a lot of exercise just lounging around the house all day. Sounds like Ed and Al on a daily basis she thought to herself. But she knew the real reason for it. Al was still getting stronger but sitting around, reading Alchemy books wouldn't do him any good. She knew he needed to get out and do something. Or at least walk a little more than usual. That would help a whole lot more.

Den began to bark at someone who was walking toward the Rockbell house. She really couldn't tell who it was. But she could tell they were wearing a military uniform. She called to Den, and the dog ran back to her. She was close enough to the house if something were to happen. And if she yelled loud enough, Ed, AL and her grandmother could hear her as well. She thought the person was close enough so she yelled out to them.

"Hey! Are you from Central?" She was finally able to notice who it was. If the buff muscles and tallness weren't obvious enough, then the trademark sparkles all around him completely gave away who he was.

"Major Armstrong?" she said out loud.

"It is I! Alex Louis Armstrong, here for a visit!" Major Armstrong yelled from across the lawn. Winry couldn't help but give a lopsided smile. She wasn't in touch with anybody except for Lieutenant Hawkeye (although she called her Riza now) and seeing old faces was certainly a pleasure.

"It's good to see you again!" she said. Major Armstrong approached Winry and gave her a hug.

"It's been too long. I have missed all of you. Where are the Elric brothers?" he asked, looking around and walked to the side of the house in hope of finding them.

"I'm pretty sure they're both inside the house doing nothing, as usual." she complained. The front door opened and Al slowly walked out.

"Why do I keep hearing Major Armstrong's voice?" he asked, shielding his eyes from the sun. Tears ran down Major Armstrong's eyes and he ran to Al, capturing his in his arms.

"Oh, Alphonse Elric! It feels like ages since I have last seen you!" Major Armstrong spun Al around and around, choking the life out of him.

"I-It's great to see y-you again, Major A-Armstrong!" Al was able to strain out. Major Armstrong put Al down and took a look at him.

"I see you have gotten a lot stronger since I last saw you. I'm glad." Al couldn't help but stand up a little straighter to show pride in his progress.

"It's from all that sitting around, right Al?" Winry teased. Al gave Winry a glare but she wasn't even affected by it.

"I don't just sit around. Sometimes I do other stuff." he said. She gave a _Suuure you do_ look to Al.

"Like what?" she challenged. Al put his index finger and thumb to his chin and looked up at the sky with a thoughtful face. Finally, he spoke.

"Ah. Nothing." he said. Winry's palm connected to her forehead. Major Armstrong gave Al a hard pat on his back and Al felt the wind being knocked out of him.

"Don't worry, Alphonse. You look strong enough to attract any lady in plain sight." Al couldn't help but blush a little at that. Winry giggled at his attempt to cover his red face. Major Armstrong noticed Winry wearing Ed's hoodie and decided to tease her about it.

"And what's this? Is it possible that Edward Elric has finally declared his romantic feelings for you?" he said. Winry was gaping at him, opening and closing her mouth. Al had to cover his stifle and he turned around. But Winry could see his shoulders shaking. Suddenly, she remembered the event that occurred a week ago. She couldn't stop the blush forming on her cheeks.

"So it is true!? Congratulations!" Major Armstrong said. She shook her head but she still couldn't get the words out. Al couldn't hold it in any longer and he burst out in laughter.

"What's with all the noise?" Ed asked, stepping out of the house in a black tank top. He was rubbing his eyes, clearly from being woken up after taking a nap. When he noticed the Major, his eyes went wide.

"Oh, no." he whispered. Major Armstrong began to cry again and was able to grab Ed before he took off into the house again. He spun Ed around, just as he did to Al.

"Edward Elric, it's great to see you again! You have certainly gotten taller, I assure you of that!" Major Armstrong said to him.

"D-damn it, Major. I-I can't breathe." Major Armstrong finally put him down and Edward actually gave him a smile.

"It's good to see you, Major." Everybody look surprised. Actually, they looked dumbstruck. But the Major just smiled back at this small change.

"Anyway, what'cha doing here? I'm pretty sure you're not sight seeing." Ed asked. Al noticed that behind the curiosity in Ed's eyes, there was something else: a secret. He decided that he was going to ask his brother about it later.

"Well, General Mustang sent me here to check on all you. He was curious as to what the trio was up to nowadays." he told them. Winry glared at Ed and he knew full well why she was mad. Al chuckled at them and looked back at Major Armstrong who had clearly understood what had happened.

"Some interesting things have happened recently but mostly it's been neutral." Al replied.

"I see. You all seem to be having fun. And here I was thinking of inviting you back to Central for a visit." Winry and Al held out their arms in denial, telling the Major that they wouldn't mind coming back to Central if they weren't so busy with so many things. Ed, however, kept quiet.

"Hmm. I'll have to tell the General about this then. I'll be returning in a few days though. Is your grandmother home, WInry? I would like to ask her about my request for staying here." he asked Winry. But before Winry could respond, Ed spoke up.

"Sure, why not. It's been a while since we all got together. I'm sure everyone's going to be there, right Major?" There was a hidden message in Ed's and the Major's eyes. Only they both knew what that meant.

"Yes. I'm quite sure that everyone will be there. After all, it's for A-" Ed kicked Major Armstrong's mouth, stopping him from talking. Apparently, the Major didn't understand that it was a_ hidden_ message that the two were sharing. Ed sighed, and the Major rubbed his jaw.

"That was quite a kick, Edward. But you have to do better than that." Ed didn't even have any time to stop the Major before he sent a punch in his way. Ed was able to dodge it, but only by a second.

"Dammit, Major! I'm not trying to start a fight! It's too cold to fight anyway!" he pointed at his black tank top that was horrible at fighting off the bitter cold. Major Armstrong tore off his military jacket and his undershirt, leaving him shirtless.

"Then, let's make this fair! Get ready, Elric brothers!" Ed just tried to flap away the sparkles surrounding the major while Al gave a groan.

"Since when was I a part of this?" he asked. Winry rolled her eyes and walked back inside to leave both boys fending themselves against the Major.

"Craaaap!" Ed's voice echoed throughout the house from outside. Winry made her way back to her work area and sat back down. But she couldn't help but think about what Major Armstrong and Ed most likely have in plan at Central. Sighing, she went back to work before she heard her grandmother.

"Winry, aren't you going to give Ed his hoodie back?" she asked. Winry blushed but didn't bother to take off the hoodie.

"I don't think he'll miss it that much." she responded. Once her grandmother was gone, she took out the letter hidden underneath her automail tools. It was from Riza. When Winry told her about what Ed had done to her, she sent some advice of her own.

_Men have a knack of giving women their sweaters to show affection. Take Edward's jacket and if he doesn't ask for it back, he's telling you something._

Wearing Ed's hoodie was only a test to see if what he did was a joke or if there was a meaning behind it. When he noticed her taking his jacket a couple days ago, he only shrugged and walked by her. But not before he whispered something to her.

"It looks nice on you." Winry's confusion had been answered and since then, she hadn't even thought of giving him back his white hoodie.

**(A/N: You guys remember Ed's white hoodie, right? The one he wore when he came back to Resembool? Or how about when Winry was it wearing on the last episode at the train station? See what i did theeere? So yes, more old familiar faces are coming back as well...What is this hidden message between Ed and Major Armstrong? What is going to happen at Central? Why am I asking so many questions!?  
Anyway, review please?)**

**(A/N Part 2: For any of you Royai shippers, I was thinking about doing a one-shot about them. Look out for it in the really near future!)**


	7. Chapter 7

**(A/N: WHAT? Chibi-Sen1124, you updated so quickly?! Yeah, I know. But I really want to get to the important part that is yet to come. I think this might be the longest chapter so far. I could be wrong. Hopefully you don't mind because you know, this is a website where you read for pleasure. Anyway, enjoy!)**

Winry squirmed on her seat, moving from side to side in irritation. Ed watched her with a boring expression then went back to looking outside the train window. Countless of grassy fields reflected in his golden eyes. He held his head with his right hand, using his palm to support his chin. His long hair was tied back into a ponytail but that didn't stop it from moving slightly because of the wind. When Ed got up this morning, he put on a nice clean shirt that hadn't been lying on the floor and a pair of black pants that he wore the day before. But before that, he had taken a quick bath, leaving him clean and looking refreshed. Overall, he looked, well, _good_.

And that was the reason for Winry's squirming. When all four of them (the trio including Major Armstrong) boarded the train an hour ago, she had hoped to sit all together. But Al had suggested to sit in pairs. Major Armstrong and Al glanced at each other for a quick second and they instantly went to sit together. That meant Ed and Winry would sit together. Now, that really isn't a problem. She's done that before. Yet seeing him practically shine underneath the sunlight made her heart gallop in her chest. But luckily, her face didn't show it.

"Honestly Ed, how can you even put up with sitting her for a long period of time?" she asked, finally settling down in the same position she had started with in the first place. He glanced her way and Winry noticed that the sunlight made Ed's eyes look translucent.

"It's talent really. But if you think about, you do the same thing too when you're fixing automail." he replied back. Ed looked out the window again and Winry frowned. She noticed he had constantly been doing that throughout the train ride. But what she didn't notice was the way Ed was looking at her. She was wearing a blue skirt and a white shirt that really brought out every curve that Winry had. She didn't have her hair in her usual ponytail. Instead, she had let it down over one shoulder. And Ed couldn't stop staring at her. He had to pry his eyes off her.

"It's different. I'm actually doing something. Right now, all I'm doing is sitting. I have nothing to occupy my time." she said. He nodded, still not looking her way. She scoffed at his response and looked over her shoulder to see the Major and Al laughing at something. When she looked back, she caught Ed looking at her. He averted her eyes and looked outside. _Okaaay, he was definitely looking at me right now_ she thought to herself.

"Oh, that reminds me." Ed said. He reached for inside his pocket and pulled something out. He held it out to Winry and Winry grabbed it. He had given her the earrings he had promised to give back to her. In reality, Winry had completely forgotten Ed had them. She was about to put them on before she noticed that one the cuffs had something on it. When she held it close to the sun, she saw that it had a simple wrench but it was surrounding by small flowers and leaves. She looked at Ed, who was (not surprisingly) avoiding her gaze.

"Hey, Ed. Did you engrave this on?" she asked. He stiffened and kept quiet, thinking about how to answer.

"Well, uh, before I lost my ability to do Alchemy, I sort of made a few changes on it because I thought it would look nice." he said, slightly blushing. Winry kept staring at it. She began to remember what he had said about her. How her hands were made to give life. It looked like that's what he was trying to imply. A wrench is her ability to give life and somehow because of that, it affected other ways of giving life. She smiled at him.

"Thanks, Ed. I love what you did." she put them on and Ed only grunted as a response.

"We're here." Al said, as he made his way over to their seats sitting down with them. The three looked out the window to see Central. The place where everything had unraveled their past journey.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~LINE BREAK YO~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Once they grabbed their belongings, the trio and Major Armstrong got off the train. They saw Second Lieutenant Maria Ross and Sergeant Denny Brosh already saluting the Major's return.

"Welcome back, Major Armstrong." they both said at the same time. The Major saluted back and stepped aside, where all three of them stood.

"Hey, Lt. Ross. Sergeant Brosh. It's been a while." Ed said first, giving them a wide smile. They both laughed in amazement.

"Wow, Ed! You've gotten taller." Sergeant Brosh said. Ed's smile quickly went away and was replaced with a frown.

"Is that really the first thing you notice? The major said the same thing." he muttered under his breath. They both ignored him and had turned their attention to Al and Winry. Ed rolled his eyes but he smiled. Major Armstrong tapped his shoulder.

"Should I inform General Mustang that you're here?" he asked. Ed looked over where Al and Winry were occupied by Lt. Ross and Sergeant Brosh.

"Yeah. I'll make up some excuse as to why you had to leave. The two of them already know, right? About…?" Major Armstrong nodded and left quietly. Ed walked back to the reunited group.

"Major Armstrong had to go take care of some personal business since he's been gone for a while. He said he'll be back soon though. Anyway, you guys gonna show us to our hotel?" he asked. Lt. Ross scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"Always getting right to the point, huh Ed?" she said but began to walk out of the train station with all of them following her. As they walked through the streets of Central, they saw the rebuilding of old structures that had been destroyed during the Promised Day. People had started the beginning of their new lives again. Nothing was the same after the Promised Day but yet life had eventually returned to its normal routine. It wasn't long before they were walking up the street where the Hughes family lived. Ed stopped in front of the house and looked up at the sky, remembering something.

_Hughes gave a big smile at Ed and saluted him. "Tell my little rays of light I love them, okay Ed?" he said_.

"Hey, you guys? I'll catch up with you later. I have to do something important." Ed said to them. Winry and Al looked at the house and understood Ed.

"Tell them we said hi, okay Ed?" Winry said. Ed smiled and nodded. He watched them all go before he finally sucked in a huge breath and walked to their door. Ed felt like he couldn't breath. Truthfully, he wasn't sure how it would turn out meeting Mrs. Hughes again. But he drew in as much courage as he possibly could and knocked on the door. His palms began to sweat and he felt his stomach beginning to hurt in anticipation. The door opened and he saw Mrs. Hughes.

"H-hey, Mrs. Hughes. It's me. Edward. Umm, I'm just stopping by to say hi." he said awkwardly, rubbing his neck with his right hand. Mrs. Hughes gasped and noticed that he didn't have an automail arm.

"Ed! Y-your arm." she whispered, tears forming in her eyes. He looked at his hand and gave a sheepish smile.

"Oh! Yeah, I have my arm back. Alphonse has his body back too. He's here in Central. I'll come by with him later but I had to tell you something privately." he said. She nodded and opened the door wider, letting him come in.

"Little brother!" Elicia yelled, jumping into his arms. Ed grabbed her and couldn't help but correct her.

"Actually, I'm the big brother. Remember?" he said. He put her down and she looked up at him.

"Come inside, Little Brother!" she said. He sighed but smiled at her. He sat down next to her on the couch and Mrs. Hughes sat down on the other couch.

"Mrs. Hughes, do you believe...do you believe people in the afterlife sometimes might visit us? In anyway?" he began slowly, trying to figure out if that's a good way to start. Mrs. Hughes looked at the pictures of Maes on the drawer.

"I think it's possible for that to happen, if the will of the person in the afterlife is strong enough. Maes certainly believed in things like that. That's why he always tried to help people as much as he could. So they didn't have regrets and lived their life in a happiness." she replied back. Ed breathed a small sigh of relief. _Now is the hard part_ he thought.

"A few months ago, I had this...dream. I had a dream of my mother and my rotten father. They told me that they were proud of me. In that same dream, I saw a girl I knew and her dog. They looked... happy. And I also saw…" he stopped. Saying it out loud, it sounded ridiculous. But he had to say it. He had to make this right.

"You saw Maes, didn't you?" she said quietly. He nodded and he wasn't sure what she would do next. She smiled and she waited, urging him on.

"In the dream, he told me tell you something. His exact words were 'tell my little rays of light I love them.' I wanted to do this one thing for him after everything, everything he put on the line for just for me and my little brother." Ed finished. Mrs. Hughes stood up and walked over to the window with her hand across her mouth. Silent tears fell down her cheeks and Elicia noticed it.

"Mommy, what's wrong? Are you hurt?" she asked. Mrs. Hughes shook her head and hugged her daughter. She looked at Ed and she smiled.

"Thank you. You don't know how much that means to me. Thank you." she whispered to him. Ed felt a lump beginning to form in his throat. He nodded and cleared his throat.

"I should be heading back. I'm sure Al and Winry are waiting for me." he said.

"Wait! Can we go see Alphonse and Winry? I'm sure Elicia would love to see her big sister." she said. Ed smiled at Elicia's excitement to see Winry again.

"Sure. Actually, tomorrow we're all going to get together at a certain place. I'm sure you can come then." he wrote down the address on a piece of paper and handed it to Mrs. Hughes. She read it and smiled.

"I didn't realize _that_ day has arrived already. We'll be there." she said. He nodded and left, already beginning to plan out the next day's huge event.

**(A/N: SO! How was that? I hope I didn't make it OOC or make it really bad. I tried to make it as realistic as possible. As we all know, it was Hughes' death that triggered everything. I feel he needed to be mentioned in someway throughout the story. *Yells into the sky* WE LOVE YOU MAES HUGHES! Anyway, can I get some reviews? Ironically, this is the only story I haven't gotten any reviews and it's my only on-going story. Or some follows is good too! So, please review?)**

**(A/N Part 2: About that Royai one-shot? I already published it. If any of you want to check it out, it's called A Misunderstood Situation. I'll most likely upload another one.)**


	8. Chapter 8

**(A/N: Sorry for taking a week to update. I want to personally thank all of you following this story, whether if you've been with me since the first few chapters or up till don't know how much you guys mean to me. You are all sweethearts! Anyhow, the moment you all, I think, have been waiting for. _That_ day has arrived. Enjoy!)**

Leaves of reds, oranges, and browns flew all across Central, traveling in packs and landing gracefully on the concrete ground. Night was beginning to arrive a lot quicker and colder. But on this particular day, it seemed a lot warmer than other days and it almost had a feel of spring. Or at least, that was how Al felt the day was. He woke up, the sky bursting with light and it was only seven in the morning. As soon as he had woken up, he was smiling, most likely from a dream he had enjoyed. It wasn't a dream, but more of a memory of when he was younger and he had spent the whole day with Ed, Winry, Granny, and his beautiful mother on a hill. His mother had packed a picnic basket filled with delicious snacks and drinks. Winry had brought a blanket to set underneath the tree on the hill. Ed and Al had brought their Alchemy books and spent most of the day reading. But there was those few moments Al spent watching his small family enjoying themselves. And it was what he loved to do the most..

"Al! Wake up! I have to go see Mustang today, so I won't be here until later, okay? I think Winry is awake so you guys can have breakfast without me! Bye!" Ed shouted from outside Al's hotel room. Al wasn't able to respond back because he heard Ed run down the hallway.

He was about to sigh before he caught himself. _Dummy, don't be depressed_ he thought to himself. But truthfully, he wanted to spend the day with Ed and Winry over at the Hughes' house. When Ed had returned from their house yesterday, he was a bit sad but he seemed relieved? Or maybe it was happiness. Either way, Al also had a bit of guilt. But the only reason he didn't have as much as Ed is because Ed chose to carry it all the time and carry it by himself. Going to see the Hughes might also relieve the guilt that pained Al.

Fighting his laziness, he got up and put on a clean pair of pants and a thin black hoodie over his white tank top. He combed his hair back using his fingers. Finally, he made his way out the room to Winry's room. He knocked on Winry's door where he heard a clamoring of sounds.

"C-coming! Hang on!" Winry yelled. She was clearly trying to hide something without AL noticing but she was doing a terrible job at it. Al chuckled and waited patiently outside. Winry swung the door open, breathing heavily.

"S-sorry! I was, um, changing. Anyways, breakfast?" she asked. He looked inside her room to see her bed filled with her automail tools she brought (she told them that even though she was going to be away from home, that didn't mean that work had stop), clothes lying all over the floor, and something blue lying on the chair. She quickly closed the door, avoiding AL's eyes.

"Let's go." she said, walking down the hallway. Al looked back at the Winry's door, wondering what it is he saw. He decided to forget about it, since it wasn't any of his business anyway. Al felt his mood get just a little bit gloomier. _Maybe it's a joke and they'll eventually remember_ he thought.

_LINE BREAK YO_

Al decided he was going to enjoy the Central air and told Winry he would most likely be back when Ed was returning. Winry sent him on his way and AL began his small little journey throughout the city. When he walked out of the hotel, he noticed the few military soldiers walking around as well. They didn't seem like they were on duty but they were protecting something. He could see that. Only few of them he recognized from the battle of the Promised Day. He greeted them and traded a few words with them. They all had something to say about him looking a lot better and stronger. One of them pointed out that he even had some muscles peeking through his jacket. Al had only laughed at this and just said that it must have been the hoodie. Seeing these soldiers made his day a bit better but he still was depressed at the fact that-

"Which hotel? What do you mean, I'm going the wrong way? I am not!" Al turned around to see a short black haired girl talking to someone in her hands. _No, it's not her, is it?_ he thought.

"Mei?" he said to the girl. She stiffened and didn't even look at him. Instead, she took off, running down the streets. Without thinking twice, Al took off after her. He found that he was quickly running out of breath. _Well, duh. I'm not made of armor anymore. And proud of that too._

"Wait, Mei! Is that really you?! Stop, please!" he yelled. But the girl didn't stop at all. He finally stopped to catch his breath and because of that, he lost her. It was definitely Mei. Her hair was in the same two braids but instead of wearing her pink jacket, it was a blue one. And she was most likely talking to her little panda, Xiao-Mei. It was the only possible explanation. _Ah, the things I've seen and it's not even lunch time_ he thought happily. Even if he had imagined it, it made his mood even better. But he didn't want it to be something he had formed from his imagination. He wanted it to be real. Sighing, he made his way back to the hotel, giving up on the day.

"Alphonse Elric! What a pleasant surprise! Taking a walk on this beautiful day?" Major Armstrong asked. Startled, Al looked over to see Major Armstrong standing beside him carrying a box. Al nodded at the Major and kept walking.

"Why, Alphonse, you don't look so happy. Is there something I can help you with?" he asked. Al shook his head and kept walking. He didn't like being this way and he knew he should stop but, what does everyone expect? After all it was-

"Would you like me to walk you back to your hotel? Or at least accompany you?" Major Armstrong tried again. Giving up, he gave the major a half smile.

"Sure, Major. I wouldn't mind your company." he replied.

"Where is your brother, Alphonse? I thought you would be spending the day with Winry and Edward. But instead, I found you out here." the major asked. Al didn't want to burden the major with his gloomy mood so he shook his head.

"Nothing's wrong. I just thought I'd take a walk to see some old faces and you know, remember some memories. I guess nostalgia took over me." he said. Major Armstrong nodded but he didn't look convinced at all.

"Don't worry, Alphonse. I'm sure your day will get better and by night, it will be spectacular." The major said, winking. Al was confused and before he could ask what he meant by that, Lt. Ross appeared.

"Major Armstrong, sir! General Mustang needs to see you." she said. When she looked at Al, her face lit up.

"Al! Was Major Armstrong telling you about the plans later on? It must be pretty exciting to hear your brother did so much for you." she said happily. Major Armstrong's palm connected to his forehead. Lt. Ross' eyes widened and she covered her mouth with both hands.

"W-wait. What do you mean?" Al asked.

"Uhh, nothing! We should be going right, Lt. Ross?" Major Armstrong asked the Lieutenant. But before she had anytime to answer, he took off and she followed right beside him. Al's heart began to swell a little bit with hope. He continued his way back to the hotel with a little skip in his step.

LINE BREAK NUMERO DOS YO

Al walked up the steps of the hotel to find Winry.

"Waiting for someone, Winry?" he teased. Winry blushed a little.

"Actually, I'm waiting for Ed. He called and said he was going to be here earlier than he thought so I'm waiting for him. But he's taking a while." she said, her cheeks still pink. He chuckled and was about to walk inside before she stopped him.

"Hey, Al. Want to go out to dinner?" she asked. He looked at her, wide eyed. _Wait a minute, hang on_.

"Just the two of us?" he asked, cautiously.

"Huh? Oh. No, no! Ed's coming too. I'll leave him a note at the place we'll be at." she said, encouragingly. He nodded, agreeing to their small dinner plans, and they both made their way back up to their rooms.

"But, Al. You have to dress nicely, okay? No hoodie's or ripped pants or anything like that." she said before heading to her room. _Dress nicely? Don't I always?_

Al walked inside his hotel room, taking off his hoodie and his shirt. When he found his suitcase, he went through his clothes and grabbed his white dress shirt and dress pants. He figured that Winry would take a while, so he decided to take a quick bath.

After filling the bathtub with hot water, he slowly lowered his body and was quickly used to the hot water. He gave a content sigh and waited a while before he began to scrub himself. Even after bathing so many times, it was still a fascinating feeling to have water all over him and the feel of soap on his fingers. Just taking a bath was an enjoyment. It reminded him that he was a human. These small things meant so much to him now. He realized he was in the bath a lot longer than he had meant to be in and he got out. The cold made him shiver, sending goosebumps all over his body. He dried off and changed into his clean and "nice" clothes.

"Al, I've been waiting for you for ten minutes already! Are you done?" Winry yelled from outside his room. He ran up to the door and opened it for Winry. She was wearing a light blue dress that hugged her curves and had a sweetheart neckline. The strap on her dress were glittering with silver sparkles. When she walked into the room, Al noticed her exposed leg because of the slit that ran from her mid-thigh to below. All of her hair was tied in a ponytail (except for her bangs) and small strands were beginning to fall out.

"Wow, Winry. You look beautiful." he said. Winry smiled and looked down at her attire.

"Thanks, Al. You look handsome as well. So, shall we get going?" she asked. He nodded and they walked out of the hotel. Al couldn't help but notice the handful of men who were stealing glances towards Winry's way. _Brother is not going to like this._

A car was already waiting for them out front and Al raised an eyebrow.

"This must be some real special place if we're going to be driven there." he said. She giggled and sighed.

"It's a special place alright. But it's mostly for the special occasion." she said. He smiled bashfully.

"So, you guys did remember?" he said. She tilted her head.

"Remember what?" she asked. His smile faltered. He shook his head, regretting he ever said anything.

"Never mind." he said quietly. They got in the car, watching the sun slowly fall beneath the hills behind Central. The car drove through the streets Al was walking in earlier through the day.

"Hey, Al? We're here." Winry said quietly. He looked out the window to see a bar lit up with so many lights and there were tons of people inside. He got out and helped Winry also out of the car. She thanked him and they both walked to the bar. But Al didn't want to go in anymore. He didn't want to be let down. He really just wanted to go back to the hotel and get the day over with. Winry pulled Al along and she was smiling brightly. He opened the door for her and-

"SURPRISE!" Everyone inside the bar yelled. Winry laughed at Al's stunned face. Ed walked out of the crowd, wearing the same outfit that that Al had on except his dress shirt was black.

"Happy birthday, Al!" he said, giving his brother a hug. Al, still too stunned to even think of hugging him back, looked at all the familiar faces in the bar. Major Armstrong, Lt. Ross, Sergeant Brosh, Mrs. Hughes, Elicia, Lt. Hawkeye, even General Mustang was there. So many people were here, all just for him. Ed let go of him but the smile he had on didn't leave his face.

"Brother," Al said slowly. "You did all this, for me?" Ed smacked his back and grinned proudly.

"Yup! I had to make this birthday pretty damn awesome, didn't I? I mean, it'll be your first birthday after getting your body back. We have to make sure you won't ever forget this night." he said. Al finally broke into a huge smile. He couldn't stop. The amount of happiness he was feeling at that moment was practically unexplainable.

"Oh, Alphonse!" a voice cried out. Mei cut her way through the crowd and jumped onto Al. He noticed that she had gotten a little bit taller.

"Mei! So it was you that I saw earlier!" Al said happily, embracing her in a hug.

"I'm sorry! I promised Ed I couldn't talk to you until we all got together for your birthday! But I'm so happy to see you again!" she said, hugging him. Al glared at Ed but Ed just smiled at him. Suddenly, it dawned on Al that Ed still hadn't noticed Winry. Al motioned his eyes towards Winry and Ed shook his head in confusion. When Al did it again, Ed looked over at Winry and his eyes widened.

"Hey, Alphonse. I think you might want to join us while we leave your brother gawking at Winry." Mustang said. Al laughed and set Mei down, but not letting her hand go. He walked over to the crowd of people who came to celebrate his birthday. Throughout the night, Al found his gloomy mood slowly disappearing. Stories were traded all through the bar. Laughter kept everyone up and no one wanted to leave yet. Music echoed though the bar and a few people were brave enough to share a dance with each other. Ed walked over to Al at one point of the night when he was in the corner of the bar, looking at the cheerful festive. He was holding two glasses of champagne.

"Hey, Al. What are you doing here all alone? Aren't you supposed to be enjoying your night?" Ed asked. He set one of the glasses next to Al. Al looked at it in suspicion. Ed placed his glass close to him but he didn't take drink it. Al decided to wait to drink his until Ed took a sip of his.

"I am enjoying myself, Brother. I was just...taking it all in." he said. Ed nodded and looked at the crowd as well. Actually, he was looking at a specific person in the crowd. Al followed his eyes and he smirked when he found himself looking at Winry.

"You sure looked surprised when you saw Winry." Al said. Ed nodded and looked back at Al. He grabbed his glass of champagne and motioned Al to grab his.

"It's my first time trying it, okay? And I figured now would be a good time than ever to try it with you. Consider it a special birthday present. Just don't tell Granny or she'll kill me." Ed said. Al smiled and nodded. He took a small sip. The drink tingled in his mouth and small bubbles tickled his tongue. He swallowed it and it gave a pleasurable aftertaste. He looked at Ed who was smacking his lips.

"It's not bad. I like it." Ed said afterwards. Al nodded in agreement. He looked behind Ed to see WInry looking at Ed's back. She looked away and went back to talking with Lt. Hawkeye.

"Hey brother? Why don't you ask Winry for a dance?" Al suggested. Ed began to choke on his champagne that he had decided to take another sip of. When he finally was able to breath again, he stole a glance toward Winry.

"Mmmm….Ugh, fine! I'll do it." he decided. He stood up and clumsily made his way to Winry. Al saw Ed fidgeting as he asked Winry to dance. Her face became pink but she nodded, smiling. Together, they walked to the open space and awkwardly began to slow dance. Al chuckled to himself. Maybe he didn't have the family he was originally born into but over the years, he was able to become a part of a new one. And that was all he ever really wanted. It was the best gift anyone could ever give to him.

"Happy Birthday, to my little brother we all love, Alphonse!" Ed yelled, holding another glass of champagne and raising it to Alphonse. Everyone turned to Al and yelled.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AL!"

**(A/N: SO! How was that? Yes, I made the very important day Al's birthday. But if you think that was a bad idea or you were expecting something action-y or huge, then you truly don't realize how important Al is. And how much love and happiness he deserves. I think everyone does lo****ve and happiness but I wanted to dedicate a chapter about him. Honestly, I don't know when his birthday is and i'm not going to check. If any of you know, I wouldn't mind being informed. Anyhow, I really hoped you guys liked it. Reviews?)**


	9. Chapter 9

**(A/N: Yo! Sorry, I took a while to update. I did't have internet for a couple days. So! I'm glad my plan for making Al take the spotlight didn't fail. But, it's time I get to the juicy parts. You know. The thing that EVERYBODY wants. Quote from summary: "EdWin in future chapters." Yeaaahhhhhhhh. Anyhow, enjoy!)**

Ed got up from his warm bath and grabbed the closest towel he could find. His long and wet golden hair stuck to his back. He dried his body first, then dried his hair. It was an effortless task but it took time to do so because his hair had gotten longer. When it was wet, it reached up to his mid-back. He knew he needed a haircut, but to get one required asking Winry and Winry liked it when Ed had his hair long.

When he was done drying his hair, he tied the towel around his waist and walked out of the bathroom toward his room to change. Winry appeared out of nowhere, carrying tools in a large box, and she was obviously having trouble carrying it.

"Need any help with that, Winry?" Ed asked her. She shook her head and hadn't noticed that Ed was standing there in a towel.

"No, I'm fine." she said in a strained voice. Sighing, he took the box with one hand and hauled it over his right shoulder while keeping the other hand on his towel. Winry breathed a sigh of relief. When she looked down, she saw a towel that was currently covering Ed up.

"Ed! What the heck are you doing?" she yelled. He looked at the towel and back at Winry. Winry's face was pink and she furrowed her eyebrows together in anger, trying not to show her embarrassment. Seeing as to where the situation had gone, he had no choice but to help her. If he gave her back the box, that would make him look like, well, an ass.

"Look, I'm not exactly happy parading around with only a towel on, but it looked like you needed help, okay? So, hurry up and lead the way. My hair is still kinda wet and it's dripping onto my back now." She rolled her eyes and went through the hallway to the automail shop both her and her grandmother shared. She lead Ed to a desk with other automail parts. Carefully, he placed the box onto the desk without slipping the towel off.

"Thank you for helping me. Now, hurry and put on some damn clothes." she said, turning away from him. Alphonse, hearing what Winry said, stuck his head to see what Ed and Winry were doing. When he saw his brother, he smirked.

"Brother! That is not the proper way to seduce a lady!" Al said to his brother. Ed's turned to glare at his brother, but his brother only tried his hardest to not laugh.

"Shut up, Al!" he spat, turning red. Ed walked quickly out the door, murmuring some things about Al. Al shook his head and looked at Winry. She was focused on the tools inside her box. Actually, she was a little too focused.

"Hey, Winry? You okay?" he asked, walking up to her. When he saw her face, it was super red.

"Winry, you're not embarrassed, are you? I mean, you fix my brother's leg and you have him strip down to his underwear." Saying those words only made Winry turn even redder. Weird, Winry usually isn't fazed by this kinds of things he thought.

"You really love my brother, don't you?" he murmured quietly to her. Winry looked at Al with wide eyes.

"Pshh, no. Ha, ha, what are you saying? Ha, ha!" she said, trying to hide her real feelings. Al gave her a small smile.

"Winry, you're horrible at acting, you know that?" he said. She gave up, and sighed.

"Yeah, I know. Actually, I figured out that the kind of love that I felt for him was different from anybody else a long time ago. But I don't want to tell him. He's the first person I want to give my heart to. But I don't want our love to be some sappy, cheesy romance out of a horrible novel. It's more like, I want to protect his happiness no matter what. But since this is Ed we're talking about, he'll think I'm in love with him because I haven't really experienced love and I just randomly chose him." Al looked at Winry, surprised to hear her real feelings. Suddenly, Al didn't see Winry as that little girl whom he grew up with. No, this was a whole new different person who was looking to the future and beyond, but in order to achieve such lengths, looks at the present in a different way.

"You and Ed really are alike. But at the same time, you have your own individual strengths." Al told her, trying to make sure he didn't say anything that might offend her. She nodded and quietly laughed.

"Ah, love. It really gets you self-conscious, huh?" Winry offered, trying to loosen the mood they had created. Al just shrugged his shoulders, but he was actually thinking about someone far away in Xing.

~LINE BREAK YO~

"Hello!? Anybody here?!" someone yelled from outside. Winry opened her eyes and saw she had fallen asleep on her desk, trying to organize the automail tools in the box. She sat up, groaning at the pain her neck was giving her. It was most likely a crick. She stretched her neck while she walked outside. The late afternoon sun shone onto the porch. She carefully made her way down to greet the man outside. She stopped dead in her tracks. Make that a very handsome man. His black hair slightly covered his hazel eyes. He was tall, probably as tall as Ed. His expression had a determined look to it but when he smiled at Winry, there was a softness to it. Needless to say, he was very handsome. But she noticed that a part of his left arm was gone.

"Oh! Um, yes? Did you need help with something?" she asked. Just because he didn't have a part of his left arm didn't mean that he necessarily wanted automail. It was better to ask then to assume.

"Yes, actually. I heard from a person in Rush Valley that a Winry Rockbell would be able to help me in creating some automail for my arm. Are you Winry?" he asked. Even his voice was soothing. She nodded and he gave her a big smile.

"Whew! I finally made it here! I got lost a couple of times and it took me a couple extra days to arrive here than I had hoped for. I'm sorry, I haven't introduced myself, have I? I'm Connor." he said, extending his right arm out. She walked closer to him and took his arm.

"It's nice to meet you." she said, happily.

"I have to ask, do I need an appointment to get automail? I just dropped by unannounced and I feel a bit bad I did that. If I need an appointment, I don't mind making one and just leaving until the day of my appointment." he said to her.

"No! No, it's fine. You came all this way and I don't feel right just making you leave like that. Tell you what: How about you come back tomorrow so we can start on your automail?" she said. He beamed at her and nodded.

"Thank you so much, Winry. You don't know how much that means to me. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" he said. He quickly gave her the phone number at the hotel he's staying at and left. She felt someone standing behind her.

"I know, Granny. It isn't right to let all my other customer's down like that. But you saw what I saw, right?" Winry said to her grandmother standing on the porch. She was holding the white hoodie Ed gave to her. Winry didn't even notice the cold air around her until she shivered. Pinako handed her the hoodie and Winry quickly put it on. She took a puff of her pipe and exhaled before she spoke.

"Yes, I saw. But you do realize that some people won't be happy about this. That man was about your age. Maybe a little bit older. And it looked like he was smiling a little bit too much at you. Someone might get a bit angry at the young man's kindness." Using her pipe, she pointed at the hoodie Winry was wearing. Ed? she thought to herself.

"What? Ed? C'mon, Granny. He knows that it's just work." she said, laughing. Her grandmother just inhaled another puff and exhaled, looking at her with a serious expression.

"Jealousy can make a person blind, Winry. Have patience with him these next few days. He may be old with knowledge, but he's still a teenage boy with a very determined mind to protect what he cares for the most." she said, making her way back into the house. Winry turned around to see Connor making his way down the road, with only one hand in his pocket.

"Ed won't be jealous. He knows it's work." Winry whispered to herself, trying to convince herself. Everything that was happening lately: the long glances, the slight intentional brushes, that stupid heart-racing moment where she thought she was going to be kissed, the hoodie, and the dance at Al's party, made Winry believe that Ed loved her as a woman. But she didn't want to believe in something that might not be true. If he was going to get jealous, it can't be because he's in love with her. Right?

LINE BREAK NUMERO DOS YO

Connor came by the next day, right after Winry had finished making the last call to the few people she had canceled on. She immediately began to work on his arm, taking measurements and figuring out what type of metal would be best for him. As she worked on him, she began to learn a little bit about his life. He lost his arm in a car accident. The bone that went from his elbow to his hand was completely broken into many, many different places. There was absolutely no way it would ever heal. If it did, he had no chance of using that arm again. So, the doctor's decided just to cut it off. It ruined his career as a piano player at a bar. It was a small bar, but everyone came in for his music. He had thought about getting automail, but only feeling the piano with one hand while he played only felt like he wasn't putting all of his effort into playing.

During the middle of their conversation, Ed walked into the shop.

"Winry, you have any oil? My leg feels kinda stiff." he looked at the man Winry was currently working with. Ed narrowed his eyes.

"Yeah, I do. I think it's in the box." she said, pointing at the box on the floor. Suddenly, Connor stood up.

"Hang on. I know you. You're the Fullmetal Alchemist!" he said, smiling. Ed, upon hearing his old state military name, gave a very proud smile.

"Finally, someone recognized me!" Ed said. They shook hands, smiling like idiots. Connor looked at both of Ed's arms and frowned.

"I thought one of your arms was made of automail." he asked, confused. Winry saw a glimmer of sadness pass through Ed's eyes. He gave a half-smile while he rubbed the back of his head.

"Yeah. But, not anymore. I still have my automail leg, though." he said, lifting up his pants and knocking on his metal leg. Connor nodded as if he understood and sat back down.

"I gotta get back to work, Ed. Don't slam the door on your way out, okay? You have a habit of doing that." Winry said. Ed just made a face at her, taking the oil pump with him.

"Hey Winry, has anyone ever told you that you look really pretty?" Connor suddenly asked. Ed whipped his head around, his eyes narrowed and a frown on his face. Winry didn't look convinced.

"Ha, ha. Very funny, Connor. No need to compliment a lady just to get a discount. That's what a ladies man does." she said, finishing recording the measurements she took on his arm.

"No, I'm serious. I'm surprised you don't have a boyfriend yet." he said. Ed rolled his eyes angrily, walked out the room, and slammed the door.

"Dammit, Ed! I told you not to slam the door!" she yelled. Connor tilted his head, smiling at her. She smiled back but only because he was a customer.

The next few days, Ed saw more and more from Connor. He kept flirting with Winry (although she was oblivious about that) whenever he was around. It annoyed him and he felt his temper rise a little more. He was obviously doing it on purpose but it still bothered Ed. Ed walked around the house, murmuring to himself about "that stupid Connor." Al was beginning to grow tired of his useless murmuring.

"Okay, Brother. What's wrong now?" Al asked, annoyed. Ed heaved a sigh and sat down on the sofa.

"It's that guy. He loves to flirt with Winry in front of me. He's so stupid." Ed said. Al looked at his brother with disbelief. Here was the guy who had kicked people's butts, solved Dr. Marco's notes, traveled so much and met so many people, yet he was bothered about one guy. ONE.

"Listen, Brother. It's just Winry's work. Besides, she doesn't flirt back. She hasn't even noticed that Connor's flirting with her." Al said, trying to reassure his brother.

"I don't care. He's super annoying and I want to punch him." Ed said. Al rolled his eyes.

Once Connor left, Ed decided to confront Winry about this.

"Winry, what's taking you so long in finishing his automail?" he asked, annoyed. She gave him a look.

"It's the first time he's getting automail, Ed. I had to tell him about how much it'll hurt when we connect his nerves to the automail, and he got kind of nervous. So, the past few days, I've been trying to ease him into that stage. I'll do that tomorrow. Then, he'll have a couple days to get used to the automail and he'll be on his way." she said.

"Finally!" he exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air to make a point. Suddenly, Winry got angry.

"What's your problem, Ed? All you've been doing the whole entire time Connor's been here is complaining about him. He's not a bad guy." she yelled. He glared at her.

"You're my problem, Winry. You're so dense and you don't even notice that he's flirting with you!" he yelled.

"Fliriting!? I'm doing his automail, Ed. I'm only making conversation." she argued back.

"Yeah?! Making googly eyes at him isn't having a conversation. It's fawning over him!" he yelled.

"I am not fawining over him!"

"Yes, you are!"

"Dammit, Ed! Why are you so angry?" she yelled.

"Because I'm jealous, damn it! I'm the one who thinks your pretty, not him! But you don't ever notice that! You're sometimes all I ever think about and you don't see that!" he yelled loudly. Suddenly, it got quiet. Ed stared at her, wide eyed, at what he had just confessed. Winry's heart was galloping inside her chest. Does he really mean that? Does that mean that he actually-

"Go to sleep! It's eleven o'clock at night and I'm tired! Stop yelling like maniacs!" Al yelled from his room. Winry and Ed just stared at each other, unsure of what to do or say next.

**(A/N: Yes, I did really just leave it like that. I really freaking love how I ended it. It's just so...suspenseful! By _it_, I mean the chapter. Not the story. Reviews?)**


	10. Chapter 10

**(A/N: Yo! I know, it's been a while. I know. I'm evil leaving it like that. **

**To Namindu, I usually take about a week to update each time. That's the longest I'll ever go. Guaranteed. Thanks for your reviews!**

**To BluezebraAFHS, your reviews meant a lot to me. Sorry I'm taking so long to just barley thank you.**

**To Yelrac, O.O the pressure. No, I'm kidding. I hope to meet your expectations!**

**To anyone else following or even reviewing, you are sweethearts just for taking the chance to read this. ARIGATOU!**

**SO! I hope you guys like this chapter.)**

Winry and Ed awkwardly tried to get in a better position. Ed moved slightly back and Winry tried her hardest not to make anymore noise so they wouldn't get caught. Ed was beginning to sweat and he wiped his forehead. Winry was breathing a bit heavily and even she was feeling humid.

"How'd did it get to this?" Ed asked, eventually moving closer to Winry in the end. Winry yelped at the pain Ed had just caused her.

"Ed, stop moving. You're hurting me." she whispered quietly. He cleared his throat and tried his best not to move. She breathed a sigh of relief and she shifted into a better position.

"Anyway, to answer your question, Al wanted us to play hide and seek, remember? I forgot ever since we were little kids we always end up in the same hiding spot. I'm sure it's a curse." Winry said. Ed nodded and tried his best to avoid her eyes. After all, she still hadn't replied to what he said yesterday. _How'd it go from a love confession to getting stuck in a closet?_ Ed asked himself.

~ A couple of hours earlier~

"Good morning!" Al yelled cheerfully as he entered the kitchen. He saw Winry and Ed already awake and avoiding each other. Neither of them looked at one another or bothered to acknowledge each other. Al felt his mood slowly slip away. He frowned and tried again.

"Good morning!" he said once again. Ed looked up and gave his brother a small wave. Winry tried her best to not look troubled.

"Mornin' Al. Did you sleep well?" she asked. Al shrugged and pointed at the small scratches Nikko had left on his neck. Winry rolled her eyes and gave a _what are you gonna do, he's a cat_ look to him. Ed sat down at the kitchen table, drinking coffee that he prepared himself. Al could tell he was trying his very hardest to not spit it out. Winry was the one who usually made coffee for both her and Ed. But since yesterday just made everything weird, there was no chance Winry was preparing a cup of coffee for the poor guy. Al heard Den beginning to bark at someone outside.

"I think Connor's here." he said out loud. Both Ed and Winry stiffened. Al almost wanted to run out of the room because it was suffocating to be next to them while they were together in the same room.

"Hey brother! Let's go outside!" Al grabbed his brother's wrist and he dragged him outside, despite his protests.

"Morning, Al. Hey, Ed." Connor greeted them. Ed glared at Connor while Al made a quick conversation with him.

"Good Morning, Connor! Are you nervous about getting your automail today?" Al asked. Connor gave a small worried smile.

"Eh, kinda. Winry's been telling me it's going to hurt so I'm a bit afraid about that. It was bad enough to go through the pain of losing my arm. But now I have to go through pain again just to get it back...sorta." Connor replied.

"Equivalent exchange." Ed and Al said at the same chuckled under his breath.

"Alchemists. Always have to be thinking about alchemy, right guys?" Ed shrugged and Al nodded.

"So, I guess I'd better head inside." Connor walked past both of them. Ed watched him go inside. Regardless of the guy always flirting with Winry, he couldn't help but wish him luck. It was going to hurt and he needed all the luck he could get. Ed walked over to the tree beside the house. He plopped down, leaning against the tree. Right now, all he could think about was what he had said to Winry. He wasn't sure if that was the best way to tell her how he felt. Actually, it wasn't a good way, period. Honestly, he didn't expect it to be romantic when he was planning to tell her but during an argument? That was a huge no-no in his book. Sure, he's always a jerk to her but when it came to his feelings he wanted to be as true as possible. He buried his head in his hands and groaned.

"Brother, look what I found." Al walked up to Ed and sat beside him. He held a ring up towards Ed. Ed looked at it. It was a wedding ring.

"Why is there a wedding ring here?" Ed asked aloud. Al shrugged. Then his eyes widened.

"What if it's Connor's?" he asked. Ed raised an eyebrow at him.

"Connor's? Really? That guy couldn't stop flirting with Winry. You think a married man would flirt with a girl?" Ed stopped and thought about the General for a quick moment. _He would do something like that._

"Think about it, brother. Which hand does Connor want back?" Ed tried to remember which hand it was that Connor was missing. It was the left.

"S-so? That doesn't prove anything." But Al could tell that Ed was seriously considering that possibility.

"Stop being close-minded. You know that might be the reason he wants his hand back. And this wedding ring doesn't belong to anybody around here because nobody we know has visited recently except Connor." Al further explained. Ed sighed. He wasn't fully convinced but there was a chance that what Al said was right.

"I'm an ass, aren't I Al?" Ed asked, giving him a hopeless smile. He laid down, closing his eyes. The breeze was chilly and it was most likely going to get colder as the days went by. Al handed the ring to Ed.

"You give it to him, brother. It'll mean a lot to Winry if you do that." Ed didn't even look surprised that Al knew. After all, he was the one who had to come down to get Ed when neither of them moved a muscle the night before. Ed sighed and grabbed the ring from Al.

"Fine. But it's not like she's going to fall in love with me just because I do this." Ed said to him. This time, Al sighed.

"Both of you stress me out. You guys aren't blind toward your own feelings but you are toward each other's." Al said. Suddenly, they heard a scream coming from inside the house. Ed slowly opened his eyes. Al looked a bit frightened. He remembered the first time Ed got automail he didn't so much as let a scream. He had been so young. And now, a grown man was getting automail and the scream he gave out sounded like he was facing death itself. _How much did you go through for me, brother?_ Al thought to himself. Ed looked at his little brother. He knew what he was thinking. Another cry came from inside the house.

"C'mon, Al. Let's go visit mom and our stupid father."Ed stood up and held out his right hand for Al to grab onto. Al nodded and took his hand.

LINE BREAK YOOOOO

When Ed and Al got back, they found Winry sitting on the steps to the house. She had her hands in her pockets from her apron. They quietly approached her.

"Hey, Winry. How's Connor?" Al asked. Winry looked at both of them and sighed.

"He's resting right now. Granny's cleaning up right now." she said. Al nodded and walked over to Winry to sit beside her. Ed just stuffed his hands in his pockets. Al found the unbearable atmosphere once again. He felt himself get frustrated. Suddenly, he thought of an idea.

"Let's play hide and seek." he suggested. Both Winry and Ed gave him a look.

"Hide and Seek, Al? Don't you think we're a little too old to be playing that?" Winry said gently.

"Just one game. Besides, we haven't' played since we were so young. One game isn't going to take away our adult pride." Al pleaded. It was a rare occurrence when Al wanted something. So Ed just shrugged and Winry sighed in defeat.

"Fine." she said at last. Al smiled and placed his hands over eyes.

"1...2...3...4…" Al began to count. Ed quietly tip-toed to the side of the house and Winry crept inside. When Al knew they weren't around, he stopped counting.

"I guess they forgot that when we played Hide and Seek, they always hid in the same spot together. Oh, well." he said innocently to himself.

~Present~

They both knelled in the closet filled Al's and Ed's alchemy books. Ed crossed his arms over his knees and Winry was using her arms to support herself. Neither of them looked at each other. Finally, Ed couldn't take it any longer.

"Ed, did you mean what you said yesterday?" Winry asked. Ed was left with the syllable stuck in his throat and his mouth slightly open. He swallowed and closed his mouth. He looked at his hands. When he got the courage to look up, Winry's face was suddenly closer than before.

"Will it change?" he asked. She tilted her head in confusion.

"My answer. Will it change our friendship?" he asked. She looked surprised.

"What? Are you trying to tell me what you said yesterday was a joke?" she scoffed. Ed tried his best to not get angry.

"Answer the question, Winry." he whispered.

"Answer mine first, dammit." she said through clenched teeth.

"Yes!" he whispered back loudly. Winry felt her heart practically bruise her ribs.

"Winry, I don't have the words to tell you how I feel. We grew up together and I watched you grow from this automail freak to a beautiful woman." He carefully grabbed the strand of hair that had fallen out of her messy ponytail. Her breath caught in her throat. Ed seemed so confident. Winry's face must have looked like a cherry.

"Winry…" Ed whispered. Winry looked down at his lips, which we're getting closer to hers.

"Yes?" she said. Or she thought she said.

"Can I kiss you?" he asked. She didn't even have time to answer before he gently placed his lips onto hers. She wrapped her hands around his neck and pulled him in even closer. He answered by placing his hands on her waist. The kiss lasted for a few seconds longer before Winry pulled away but she rested her forehead on his.

"Alchemy geek."

"Automail freak."

They both smiled and kiss for a little while longer. It would have been longer, that is, if Al hadn't opened the door.

"Oh, sorry." Al closed the door but they could heard him laughing really loudly outside.

**(A/N: SO! How'd you guys like that? Did it need more? Was it bad? Review! For sure, expect a WHOLE lot more EdWin.)**


	11. Chapter 11

**(A/N: Yo! Chibi-Sen1124, here! I'm sorry that last chapter had so many spelling mistakes and some sentences didn't even make sense. To make it up to you, I updated a lot sooner.**

**Namindu, I really adore your short reviews. The recent one made my heart pound because you are asking me to keep on writing and that makes me happy.**

**Yvelta45, Can you imagine me as I wrote it? I couldn't stop squealing.**

**AnimeRideorDieFreak, Al is seriously the best thing since sliced bread and everyone knows he's shipped EdWin since the beginning. **

**BluezebraAFHS, I can't stop smiling. Your reviews have really encouraged me a lot and I'm happy you enjoy my writing. **

**To all my followers, I wouldn't even have made it this far without you. Thanks a bunch. Enjoy!)**

Before Winry even opened her eyes, her mouth began to water and her stomach was growling at the smell of bacon and eggs being made downstairs. She slowly opened her eyes to see the bright sun nestling on top of her white blankets. The day was obviously going to be a warm one, something they haven't had in a while with all the dark clouds that had passed over for so long. Winry sat up and looked around her room. She saw her mountains of clothes lying on the floor. It had been a while since she had last done laundry. Once Connor was used to using his automail, Ed sent him off at the train station. He said he had something to give to Connor so he wanted to take him the train station alone. Afterwards, Granny didn't even so much as let Winry take a break because of all the appointments she had to take care of. For five consecutive days, Winry worked on automail, slept, barely even ate, and worked on some more automail. , The night before, she had worked on her final appointment she had to make up. But it was worth it. She was sure Connor was wearing the wedding ring now. Obviously, that was the only reason she had worked on him without him booking an appointment with her. The day she met him, he was wearing a wedding ring as a necklace. And he was missing his left hand. It was easy to see why he wanted automail.

"Winry! Breakfast is ready!" Al yelled from downstairs. She smiled and got up from her bed.

"Coming!" she yelled back. Winry grabbed a pair of shorts and her black tank top. She really needed to do laundry. She threw her huge t-shirt onto her bed and changed. Quickly, she made her way downstairs. She found Al, who was wearing a pink apron, cooking breakfast. Suddenly, Ed appeared with a pitcher of freshly squeezed orange juice.

"Hey, Al. Is this enough?" Ed asked, holding up the pitcher. Al looked at it and nodded. Ed set it down on the table and looked up to see Winry. They both stared at each other. Ed and Winry hadn't really talked about what happened on the night of Hide and Seek. Winry was had been too busy to talk to anyone. But now that she wasn't, the inevitable had to come sooner or later. Ed gave her a small smile to which Winry responded with a big smile.

"Morning, Winry." Ed whispered. Winry bit her lip and tried not to smile like an idiot. But she couldn't help it.

"Morning, Ed." she said. They held each other's gazes until Al interrupted them.

"And good morning to you, Al! Why, thank you, Al!" he said to himself. Winry broke her gaze away from Ed and looked at Al.

"Sorry, Al. Good morning." she said to him. He beamed at her and handed her a plate so she could serve herself breakfast. The eggs were a light fluffy yellow, almost like little clouds. She took a bite of her bacon, crispy and cooked to perfection. Al really knew how to whip up breakfast.

"This taste really good, Al!" she said to him. Al proudly sat up a little straighter.

"It's a talent, really." he said. Ed nudged him jokingly. Granny eventually came out of her room, also caught by the delicious smell waffing in the air.

"Good morning!" she said as she walked into the kitchen. They all waved since they were too busy chewing. Granny set her plate in front of Al's and sat down. She also began to eat, and a comfortable silence filled the air. Ed, sitting across from Winry, kept stealing glances at her. She hadn't said anything about _that_ night. And he wasn't sure what they were at the moment. Are they friends? Well, obviously yes. But are they now more than friends? Are they best friends? Are they boyfriend and girl-

Ed began to choke on his soft egg and Al tried to help him by offering him some orange juice. But that didn't help because he just began to choke on that too. Al smacked him on the back and the orange juice went flying across the table and onto Winry's shirt. She gasped and looked down at the trail of orange juice on her chest.

"You idiot! Why don't you learn how to chew your food!?" she yelled, grabbing a napkin. Ed held up his finger at her, telling her to wait, before he was able to breath again. Once he had air in his lungs again, he glared at Winry.

"Sor-ry! I was only choking! Jeez, aren't you even going to ask me if I'm okay?" he yelled back. This time, Winry glared at him.

"Uh, no! I have orange juice on my shirt, Ed. I think that's more important at the moment!" she argued. Al just sighed.

"What a wonderful couple." he said out loud. Ed and Winry froze, looking at each other. Pinako didn't even as so much miss a beat when she heard those words. Instead, she inhaled her pipe before she spoke.

" I think it might rain soon again. Today seems like a good day to do laundry, don't you think?" Before any of them replied, she got down from her chair and walked back to the automail room. The three of them were silent as they cleaned up the table. Al, because he was trying to not laugh, and Ed and Winry, because they were thinking about the kiss they had shared.

LINE BREAK YO

Winry carried the basket of clean clothes back inside the house. Or at least tried. The lines that held up the clothes were right next to the house but the amount of clothes she had to carry...No, it was just too much. She couldn't even lift it.

_Like I'm going to let clothes stop me. I'm a strong independant woman. _

She grabbed both ends of the huge basket and used all her strength to lift the basket. It didn't so much as budge.

"Dammit." she whispered under her breath. The sad part was that most of it was her clothes. _Why didn't I wash earlier?_

Sighing, she sat down next to the basket and looked at her Resembool. The fields were beginning to turn a light brown color. The trees growing in some areas had leaves of different shades of reds, yellows, and oranges. A quiet wind blew and dozens of leaves fell to the ground. The sun was beginning to set behind the mountains, giving them a fiery look. It was calming just to see the view. It was quiet and relaxing. She felt something nudge her leg. She looked down to see Den sprawled out next to her. She rubbed the dog's paw.

"Hey, Den. Who let you out?" she asked him.

"I did." She turned around to see Ed. She turned away, still angry at him for the morning's chaotic catastrophe.

"Ah, Winry. You're not still mad, are you?" he asked, sitting down on the other side of the basket. She just shrugged her shoulders but Ed could easily tell she was still mad. _Is now really a good time to ask? _he thought. He gave a small shaky sigh. The things he had encountered in his life and Winry seemed like the hardest obstacle to overcome. But he was willing to give his life to win all of her heart. _Oh man. Al would tease me until I die if he knew how cheesy I'm getting. _

"Hey, Winry. I gotta ask you something." he started off carefully. Winry looked at him with her soft blue eyes. In comparison to the dark red sky, her eyes gave him comfort. They were determined and confident. Suddenly, he felt like he could do anything in the whole world just by staring into her eyes.

"Winry, I-"

"Oh! That reminds me! Since you're here, can you help me take the laundry basket back to my room?" she interrupted. He stared at her with his mouth still open from his cut off sentence. Sighing, he nodded and grabbed on end of the basket while she held the other. Carefully, they walked back inside the house to Winry's room. Carefully, they stepped into Winry's room. Carefully, they tried to set the basket on Winry's bed but Ed had tripped over an automail wrench lying around and the clothes landed all over the room. Ed fell onto the ground with Winry tumbling on top of him. He groaned as the back of his head began to hurt.

"Oww…" he said. He raised his head to see Winry's face really close to his. Ed stopped breathing. _Well, it's now or never._

"I don't regret it." Winry said to him. He raised his eyebrows at her and she shook her head.

"Okay, that was a horrible way to say it. But I really don't regret. I don't know how long I began to get these feelings-wait, I do know how long- but I've stopped seeing you as just a childhood friend, Ed. During those times when you didn't tell me anything hurt the most. But I don't want to wait until you come back home. I want to be there by your side. I want to help you become stronger. Because I care so much about you, you dork." she said in a rushed voice. He stared at her. He set his head back down on the floor and place his hands over his mouth. Winry felt him shaking and for a quick second, she thought he was crying until she saw that he was smiling.

"A-are you laughing, Ed!?" she yelled. He shook his head but he couldn't' stop laughing. She was about to get up before he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Winry, you're amazing. Do you know that?" he asked, still laughing. She blushed and tried to look angry. But it was hard with Ed holding her.

"Shut up. I thought you were making fun of me." she said to him, looking away. He sighed happily and brushed back a strand of hair that had fallen out of her ponytail. Slowly, he raised his head closer to hers. She intentionally pulling her head back. He placed his hand behind her neck to stop her from moving. Their lips touched again and this time, Winry didn't move away. She pulled Ed's hair out of his usual ponytail. When his golden hair fell to the floor, she ran her fingers through the small rays. He shivered and pressed his lips even closer to hers. Winry let her mouth open slightly and Ed took that small chance. Until-

"C'mon you guys! Not on top of the clean clothes!" Al yelled.

"Dammit, Al! That's the second time!" Ed rolled away from underneath Winry to run after his little brother.

"Brother, it's not my fault! You left the door open! Wait!" Ed caught up to him and began to ruffle his hair, locking Al's head in his arm.

"That's such a lie, Al." Winry said to herself, laughing.

**(A/N: SO! How was that? Yes, dudes and dudettes. Ed and Winry are officially together now. I think I make Ed a bit too cheesy but I tried not to. But Al. He knows how to wrap up a chapter. Don't worry, not all of them are going to end with Al doing that. He's a main character too, you know. He needs a chapter of his own again. Anyway, can I get some reviews?)**

**(A/N2: I wrote another Royai story. It's called For Every Scar, I'll leave A Kiss. It's not like the other Royai though. It is a bit sad but it's also a bit...steamy. But it's not a lemon though.)**


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